A product distribution enterprise (or simply product distributor) buys and sells products. The company structure for such an enterprise typically takes the form of individual departments which are separated by organizational function such as sales, purchasing, product definition, merchandise profile, distribution/logistics, and finance, among others. To facilitate and coordinate information exchange between these departments and with customers as well, the enterprise typically employs an electronic Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (i.e., a computer system running business solutions software).
Typical ERP systems include graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and databases which operate to enable distributors to manage products (e.g., coordinate product movement from purchase orders into inventory and then to sales orders). To this end, these ERP systems require distributors to assign unique tracking numbers (sometimes called product, item, or SKU numbers) to various characteristics permutations available in the same product. Once the distributors assign these unique tracking numbers, users may visually access product data through the GUIs by referencing specific data from the databases based on these unique tracking numbers. For instance, a user may scroll through GUI lists which report quantities of particular characteristics permutations of the same product; on order, currently in inventory, or recently sold. The lines on each GUI list provide details for respective and particular product characteristics permutations (e.g., each line may include the assigned tracking number for a specific attribute characteristics permutation, a quantity in inventory for that permutation, a short description of that permutation, etc.) of the same product. Further details of such an ERP system will now be provided with reference to the following example.
Suppose that a distributor is in the business of buying and selling clothing products such as shirts. Further suppose that there are many shirt products available, each with varying attribute characteristics, and available in multiple permutations of those attribute characteristics. In particular, suppose that a particular shirt product is available in multiple colors (e.g., white, blue, tan, etc.), multiple sleeve lengths (e.g., 32 inch, 33 inch, etc.) and multiple collar sizes (e.g., 14½ inch, 15 inch, etc.), among other things (e.g., the attributes of the shirt products being color, collar size, and sleeve length).
To track the particular shirt product within the above-described conventional ERP system, the distributor typically assigns a unique tracking number to each attribute characteristics permutation of the particular shirt product. Accordingly, a white shirt having a 34-inch sleeve length and 17-inch collar size would have a first assigned tracking number in the ERP system. Additionally, a white shirt having the same sleeve length but a different collar size would have another (e.g., distinct) assigned tracking number in the ERP system. Furthermore, a white shirt having a different sleeve length but the same collar size would have yet another assigned tracking number.
Users of the conventional ERP system then manage shirts within the enterprise (e.g., from purchase order, to inventory, to sales order, etc.) using these assigned tracking numbers. For example, once the distributor has assigned tracking numbers to each attribute characteristics permutation of each shirt product, users may visually assess the quantity of each of these (as handled by the distributor), by scrolling through lines of a GUI list (e.g., an inventory report) where each line includes an assigned tracking number and associated information for a particular attribute characteristics permutation of a particular shirt product.
One conventional ERP system which is suitable for managing shirts for a distributor in this manner is the computer system running an off-the-shelf business solutions software package called Axapta® which is offered by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.
In some situations, a distributor may wish to obtain certain functionality which is not offered by an off-the-shelf business solutions software package. In such cases, the distributor may contract with one or more third-party companies who can provide additional software packages which will provide the required additional functionality and also compliment the operation of the off-the-shelf business solutions software package. An example of such an additional software package which is similar to that described above is the CS-Enterprise (formerly called e-Logia) product configurator which is offered by Configuration Solutions of Portage, Mich.